Executive Assistant Resume Template Example

As the first point of contact for top-level executives, you’re a pro at managing communications, schedules, and sensitive information. Your executive assistant resume should demonstrate these multitasking skills and prove to hiring managers you can support senior-level professionals. This guide offers expert strategies and quick tips to help you create a results-driven resume showcasing the best of your administrative career.

How To Write an Executive Assistant Resume

Finding a modern template is key to creating a compelling executive assistant resume. Your resume should include these sections:

  • Contact information
  • Profile
  • Key skills
  • Professional experience
  • Education and certifications

Contact information

List your most up-to-date contact information at the top of your resume. Provide your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your LinkedIn profile. This makes it simple for execs and human resources (HR) professionals to get a hold of you for an interview.

Example

Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
City, State Abbreviation Zip Code
LinkedIn

Profile

Your profile or resume objective is like a sneak peek of your career highlights. It gives employers a quick snapshot of who you are as an executive-level administrative professional. Include a brief summary of your skills, experience, and what makes you unique from other applicants. Aim to engage the reader and establish your ability to handle the schedules and communications of senior leaders.

Example

Highly organized executive assistant with nearly seven years of experience providing high-level administrative support to senior government and health care professionals. Proven track record in budget management, overseeing a departmental budget of $500,000. Strong research and data verification skills, contributing to informed decision-making processes.

Key skills

From managing busy schedules to coordinating interdepartmental projects, you rely on an impressive set of skills to offer senior-level support. When listing abilities on your resume, be sure to include a mix of both hard and soft skills. This will show employers you’re a well-rounded candidate who can keep up with technical tasks and interact professionally with fellow employees.

Common hard and soft skills for executive assistants

Hard Skills Soft Skills
Budget management Communication
Data entry Conflict resolution
Decision support Customer service
Documentation management Emotional intelligence
Event planning Flexibility
Microsoft Office suite Initiative
Note-taking Multitasking
Project coordination Negotiation
Report preparation Organization
Travel coordination Time management

Resume writer’s tip: Use descriptive action verbs

Action verbs help you concisely state what you’ve accomplished in previous roles. Instead of describing your job responsibilities using first-person language like, “I was responsible for,” use action verbs to start each bullet point in your professional experience section. These words can liven up your writing and help to avoid sounding redundant or wordy. Here are some action verbs to use in your executive assistant resume:

Action Verbs
Administered Anticipated
Balanced Collaborated
Coordinated Executed
Facilitated Implemented
Initiated Managed
Negotiated Optimized
Resolved Streamlined
Synchronized  

Professional experience

Build out this section with your most recent positions. Under each job, describe what you were responsible for day-to-day and any noteworthy achievements. Explain how you juggled multiple executive schedules, handled budgets, and collaborated with other departments.

Example

Executive Assistant, State of North Carolina, Wake County, NC
February 2018 – present

  • Supported the HR deputy director, managing incoming and outgoing communications, calendars, and travel arrangements
  • Managed the departmental budget of $500,000, ensuring strategic resource allocation
  • Maintained asset inventory and ensured compliance with procedural and operational guidelines
  • Tracked work assignments for staff members, achieving a 27% increase in efficiency for the Central HR Office
  • Conducted research and data verification to support decision-making processes
  • Ensured accurate and up-to-date asset inventory, resulting in a 94% accuracy rate

Executive Assistant, Signify Health, Burnsville, NC
December 2016 – January 2018

  • Supported three executives in day-to-day activities, managing meetings, schedules, and work-related projects
  • Coordinated travel arrangements and worked with vendors to reduce costs by 18%
  • Managed expenses and submitted accurate expense reports in Concur
  • Collaborated with department heads regarding software, equipment, and office needs
  • Demonstrated confidentiality by handling sensitive information, achieving 100% compliance with data security protocols

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

As you outline your past job descriptions, use numbers to bring your achievements and responsibilities to life. Percentages and monetary figures show you’ve not only done your job but excelled at it. It’s evidence that you’re a valuable asset to senior leadership.

Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application

The job market for administrative professionals is expected to shrink over the next decade. That means you could be facing tough competition for executive assistant positions. Your best strategy to stand out is tailoring your resume for every job you apply for. A customized resume shows you’ve done your homework. It’s not just a generic application but a carefully crafted pitch.

For example, imagine an executive team was looking for an assistant specializing in complex international travel coordination. In that case, you would highlight your ability to orchestrate seamless travel logistics across multiple time zones. Prove your meticulous planning skills to make for stress-free, efficient travel experiences.

Resume writer’s tip: Highlight your leadership capabilities

There are more than 200,000 actively employed executive assistants. So, how can you stand out as a top administrative professional in such a large pool? By demonstrating that you can lead. Operating as a leader doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve had experience managing people. Leadership is cultivated through proactive communication, team collaboration, personal improvement, and career development.

Show that you go beyond the bare minimum requirements of your job and prioritize improving the workplace. From streamlining office protocols to creating an inclusive environment, your ability to lead can be the difference between you and the next applicant.

Resume writer’s tip: How to choose the best resume format

The best resume format is the one that highlights your most compelling qualifications. If you’ve been an executive assistant for many years, a reverse chronological format will be the best choice. Your extensive administrative experience is the focus, demonstrating stability and a clear career progression.

For less experienced assistants or those transferring industries, the combination resume is often a better option. This format leads with your key skills instead, highlighting all of your relevant abilities. Any transferable skills you’ve gained from past work experiences outside of executive support are featured at the top of your resume.

What if you don’t have experience?

Starting at the entry level for any job can be a challenge, but there are ways you can present yourself even without direct experience. If you’re fresh out of school and haven’t held any jobs before, you can look at your education and extracurricular activities. Identify your transferable skills, such as communication, organization, time management, and attention to detail. How did you develop or use these skills during school, sports, or clubs?

Anyone with prior unrelated work experience can take a similar approach. Focus on transferable skills, emphasize your software proficiency, and anything close to administrative tasks. Even if these weren’t earned at the executive level, they’re still valuable and applicable.

Education and certifications

Provide your relevant academic history and any certifications earned in your career. Include degree or diploma names, institution names, and dates of completion. If you’ve completed administrative coursework or earned a certification in something like Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, list those as well. These additions prove your competence and help you stand out from other applicants.

Example

Education

Associate of Arts (A.A.) Communication, September 2011 – June 2013
Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, NC

Certifications

  • Google Workspace Certification, Google, 2023
  • Certified Executive Administrative Professional (CAP), IAAP, 2022

Executive Assistant Resume Template Text Example

Timothy Anderson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
City, State Abbreviation zip code
LinkedIn

Profile

Highly organized executive assistant with nearly seven years of experience providing high-level administrative support to senior government and health care professionals. Proven track record in budget management, overseeing a departmental budget of $500,000. Strong research and data verification skills, contributing to informed decision-making processes.

Key Skills

  • Communication management
  • Event planning
  • Expense reporting
  • Organization
  • Scheduling
  • Vendor coordination

Professional Experience

Executive Assistant, State of North Carolina, Wake County, NC
February 2018 – present

  • Supported the HR deputy director, managing incoming and outgoing communications, calendars, and travel arrangements
  • Managed the departmental budget of $500,000, ensuring strategic resource allocation
  • Maintained asset inventory and ensured compliance with procedural and operational guidelines
  • Tracked work assignments for staff members, achieving a 27% increase in efficiency for the Central HR Office
  • Conducted research and data verification to support decision-making processes
  • Ensured accurate and up-to-date asset inventory, resulting in a 94% accuracy rate

Executive Assistant, Signify Health, Burnsville, NC
December 2016 – January 2018

  • Supported three executives in day-to-day activities, managing meetings, schedules, and work-related projects
  • Coordinated travel arrangements and worked with vendors to reduce costs by 18%
  • Managed expenses and submitted accurate expense reports in Concur
  • Collaborated with department heads regarding software, equipment, and office needs
  • Demonstrated confidentiality by handling sensitive information, achieving 100% compliance with data security protocols

Education

Associate of Arts (A.A.) Communication, September 2011 – June 2013
Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, NC

Certifications

  • Google Workspace Certification, Google, 2023
  • Certified Executive Administrative Professional (CAP), IAAP, 2016
Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

A resume should be a forward-looking value proposition that showcases your most relevant accomplishments for a target role — not a rear view summary of your previous roles and responsibilities.

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